September 27th — November 2nd, 2008

ABOUT THE SHOW

Couched amid historical artifacts and contemporary art celebrating PARADISE LOST, the greatest poem in the English language. Perhaps the largest birthday party for Milton in the world, with poets, artists and composers. We will be documenting this extravaganza on video to produce a documentary for this historical event that we believe will be seen for centuries to come. Milton’s centennial birthday will not come again for another 100 years. Be part of it! If you attend the gala, you will probably be in this video!

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

“The exhibit and programs promise to be a diverse collection of multiple perspectives and strategies that should engage the audience you hope to reach.” From a letter to Terrance Lindall from Wendy Woon, the Edward John Noble Foundation Deputy Director for Education of the Museum of Modern Art, New York

John Milton was born in 1608. In 1667, the world received from him the book that would influence English thought and language nearly as much as the King James Version of the bible and the plays of Shakespeare. Let us then celebrate both the birth of John Milton who used the English language for supreme art, as well as celebrate the evolving English language itself throughout the world, which has become the world’s foremost international language. As a young man, John Milton wrote a friend: “Do you ask what I am meditating? By the help of Heaven, an immortality of fame.” Not many can actually achieve such a goal, but Milton did. Next to William Shakespeare, he is regarded by many as the greatest English poet and the author of the language’s finest epic poem, Paradise Lost. While Milton wrote Paradise Lost, he was blind, embittered by his heroic political/religious battles, and hampered by insufficient finances. Few images in the history of literature are more poignant that of the blind Puritan dictating day after day his great epic, Paradise Lost, the theme of which is announced in the opening lines:

Of man’s disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden.

He rose at four or five each morning, listened to a chapter from the Hebrew Bible, ate breakfast, and then wrote until noon. After an hour walk and another hour playing the organ or viola, he worked until night. Then he would have a supper of “olives or some light thing,” a pipe, and a glass of water.

A MESSAGE FROM THE SHOW DIRECTOR:

“The impact of Milton, especially his Paradise Lost, has enduring influence in the lives of not only the academic world, but among those of us in the arts and the general public who can FEEL the powerful resonance of his words and ideas. The unabridged original is the magical touchstone, the undiminished constellation in the Western psyche that has illuminated our culture for the foreseeable future, as has Shakespeare and the Bible.

“There are many worldwide events from Oxford & Cambridge to the New York Public Library. However, we know of none quite like ours that asks professional artists, composers and poets to respond to the greatest poem of all time.

“America is a country of immigrants who hail from all corners of the globe. We come together through our common use of the English language. Every culture and ethnicity has contributed in their turn to the wealth of words and phrases in the English language. The English language no longer belongs to that island nation that once was greatest empire the world has ever seen, but to all of us. As the Greeks gave us philosophy, so the British have given us the gift of the ever-evolving English language. As part of our exhibit, in homage to the British peoples and their gift to us, we will include interesting artifacts of British heritage from the Yuko Nii Foundation collection.”

Terrance Lindall
Show Director

A MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE WAH CENTER:

“The Williamsburg Art & Historical Center (WAH Center) was founded upon the ‘Bridge Concept,’ which envisions a multifaceted, multicultural art center whose mission is to coalesce the diverse artistic communities, and create a bridge between local, national and international artists, emerging as well as established artists of all disciplines.

“It takes three to for the art to be realized – a dynamic symbiotic trinity composed of the artists, the art promoter or space provider, and the art appreciator. The WAH Center is pleased to be the promoter and space provider, bridging the artists with the audience in this visually exciting and scholarly production, ‘Paradise Lost.’

“While literary, academic and religious circles throughout the world are celebrating John Milton’s 400th birthday this year, we at the WAH center are taking great thought and literature of the past along with historic artifacts from the time of John Milton and bridging them to the present day of artists, writers, poets, composers & performers. It is a unique and inspiring happening in this historical New York City landmark building.”

ABOUT THE SHOW’S DIRECTOR

Terrance Lindall is an American artist who was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, in 1944. Lindall attended the University of Minnesota and graduated magna cum laude from Hunter College in New York City in 1970, with a double major in Philosophy and English and a double minor in Psychology and Physical Anthropology. He was in the Doctor of Philosophy program in philosophy at New York University from 1970 to 1973. He is listed in Marquis Who’s Who in America 2006. Information about this artist is also on file in the Smithsonian Institution Library Collection. His illustrations for John Milton’s Paradise Lost are perhaps today the best-known illustrations for this epic outside of those by William Blake and Gustave Dore, and are part of this exhibit. His art is on the cover of Random House’s 2008 “Essential Milton.”

WHAT MILTON SCHOLARS ARE SAYING

“Appropriately for his background in art and philosophy, Lindall seems especially interested in using art to express ideas, which makes his work particularly intriguing for Milton scholars, for he has painted a number of works depicting scenes in Paradise Lost” —Horace Jeffery Hodges, Assistant Professor in Kyung Hee University’s Dept. of English Language and Literature

"Lindall’s image (on the cover of Random House’s 2008 Essential Milton) is, of course, the star. It seems to me at once unmistakably modern and yet just as unmistakably archaic: exactly the doubleness I was hoping for on our cover.” —William Kerrigan of Random House, 2007

“Radical artist and nonconformist Terrance Lindall has channeled Milton’s spirit into a modern context, in a provocative series of illustrations to Paradise Lost. His visual celebration of Milton reveals his remarkable affinity for the radical English poet, and his ability to create a fitting tribute to Milton’s enduring influence in the arts.” —Professor Karen Karbiener, New York University, 2007

“Terrance Lindall’s fanciful illustrations are bound to arouse response & provoke thought in the may persons interested in Paradise Lost & its subjects & in surreal illustration generally” — Professor Thomas Clayton, University of Minnesota Department of English

Lindall’s art for Paradise Lost appears on the 2008 cover of Complete Poetry and Essential Prose of John Milton, Random House 2008. Edited by William Kerrigan, John Rumrich and Stephen M. Fallon Format: Hardcover, 1392 pages ISBN: 978-0-679-64253-4 (0-679-64253-6) THIS EDITION IS CALLED “THE DEFINITIVE MILTON OF OUR TIME” (NOW IN IT’S SECOND PRINTING)

Holt Rinehart & Winston is using another Lindall Paradise Lost image in a 2009 high school textbook, which will have a first run of 370,000. Title: Elements of Literature, Sixth Course ISBN No.: 9780030368820

Tickets $40.
To order by email: let us know how many tickets you want and we will send you a Paypal invoice.
Or send a check to:
WAH Center, 135 Broadway, Brooklyn NY 11211
You will receive a confirmation of your order and the tickets will be sent two weeks prior to the ball.

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

September 28th, 2 PM
Suggested admission $5

Noted Brooklyn poet S. David recites his tribute to John Milton and takes you on a poet’s tour of the art in the show

OCTOBER EVENTS

The reopened WAH Theatre in the third floor Grand Ballroom of the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center presents:

Paradise Found!

Four Performances,
Friday and Saturday at 8PM
October 3rd and 4th,10th, 11th

Premiere stagings of scripts inspired by Paradise Lost by members of The Brooklyn Playwrights Collective:

Sugar-Coated Sin by Alaina HammondLost in Paradise Lost by Maria MichelesParadise Found by Peter Dizozza

Courante musicians Arthur Kirmss, Lisa Kelly and Heather Arzberger in 17th century costume, on harp, guitar, and recorders, performing European vocal and instrumental music through early Baroque, celebrating Milton’s life.

HISTORCAL EXHIBITS

Book Label of Madam Pomfret

THE BOOK OF GENESIS from a 17th century handwritten Torah on vellum (23 feet long).

SPECIAL BOOK & MANUSCRIPT DISPLAYS:

LADY POMFRET’S copy of the first illustrated edition (c. 1688) of Paradise Lost. She was a noble 18th century British woman of great learning, and the Lady of the Bedchamber of Queen Caroline.

THE BOOK OF GENESIS, a 17th century handwritten Torah on vellum (23 feet long)
Fine, well preserved hand written Moroccan Torah fragment, the complete book of Genesis (the 1st book out of the 5 books of Moses). Approximately 300 to 400 years old and very well preserved, its either deer or goat skin.

c. 1791 This handsome Derby portrait model is of John Milton (1756-1769; issued as D12 (probably adapted from a maquette from the studio of Scheemakers or possibly provided by John Cheere, reissued as E46, and between 1770-1796 issued as model number 297 from a plaster by M. Rysbrack. The Poet is portrayed in Van Dyck dress, leaning against a pedestal decorated in relief with a scene from Paradise Lost.

Featured Artists

Kris Kuksi, one of the most highly regarded artists in the contemporary surreal/visionary movement.

His work is in the collection of Chris Weitz, Director of the new movie, The Golden Compass, based upon Philip Pullman’s book and grounded in John Milton’s Paradise Lost.

Richard “Rich” Buckler is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics’ The Fantastic Four in the mid-1970’s. He will be producing a portrait of John Milton for the 21st century. The unveiling will be at the Costume Ball!

Bienvenido Bones Banez - “All of his work is based on his ‘666 World View. He paints as if he is plugged into a wall socket and the energy that pours forth through his brain and fingertips to the canvas comes out in pulses of scintillating colors.” —Terrance Lindall

Olek This vibrant Polish beauty debuted her career at the WAH Center in 2003 at the Surrealist Fashion Show. She is one of the most fascinating artists in the world, madly crocheting her way into art history.